Binocular carrier



March 7, 1967 J. M. GATOS ETAL 3,307,757

BINOCULAR CARRIER Filed Aug. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1 7 L Fig.5

I! E iill oali illl /4 I l /4 v I I (Mi U 1 ll lNVENTORs JIMMY M. GATOS JOHN W. WATTERS March 7, 1967 J, M. GATQS ETAL 3,307,757

BINOCULAR CARRIER Filed Aug. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

Fig.5

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JIMMY M. GATOS JOHN W. WATTERS United States Patent 3,307,757 BINOCULAR CARRIER Jimmy M. Gatos and John W. Watters, both of Rte. 1, Missoula, Mont. 59801 Filed Aug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,508 3 Claims. (Cl. 224-) This invention relates to binocular supports, and more particularly to a carrier for binoculars.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a carrier which will hold binoculars firmly to the body, free from swinging.

Another object of this invention is to provide a binocular carrier which will prevent the swinging of the binoculars while riding horses, trail bikes, walking or running.

Another object of this invention is to provide a binocular carrier which will be ideally suited for hunters use, due to the fact that the carrier will not interfere with the 'hunter when he is shooting and this device eliminates the former practice of hanging binoculars from around the neck of the user.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a binocular carrier which will be adapted to retain all binoculars.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of this invention showing a pair of binoculars in phantom lines.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1 and viewed in a direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the plastic covered metal plate shown removed from the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a front view showing the straps of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a rear view of the straps of the invention.

According to this invention, a binocular carrier is provided with an L-shaped plastic covered metal plate 11 which is secured to a back leather panel 12 by a plurality of rivets 13 which are received within openings 13a. A pair of spaced apart rectangular openings 14 through plate 11 receives a waist strap 15 which is provided with a buckle 16. A pair of spaced apart rectangular openings 17 through plate 11 receives a pair of shoulder straps 18. An upwardly extending, tapering lip '19 formed on the outer edge of the horizontal leg of plate 11 is provided with a snap fastener 20 which is received by a meeting snap fastener 21 which is secured within an elastic strap 22. The other end of elastic strap 22 is secured to a flap 23 which provides cover for the lenses of binoculars 24 to prevent precipitation from striking the lenses; Shoulder straps 18 are provided with adjustment rings 25 and an elastic web 26 is secured between shoulder straps 18 at the rear to provide the necessary tension upon straps 18.

Binoculars 24 rests within plate 11 and the elastic 3,307,757 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 strap 22 when fastened to lip 19 by the fastener 20 of lip 19 and the fastener 21 of strap 22 thus retains binoculars 24 within binocular carrier 10. The bottom, horizontal leg of the L-shaped plastic coated plate 11 is narrower than the rear, vertical leg of the plate 11 in order that the bottom, horizontal leg and the lip 19 may be received between the two main cylinders of the binoculars when the binoculars are placed within the carrier.

It will be noted that plate 11 is coated with plastic (not shown) in order to prevent scufiing or marring of binoculars 24 and removing or placing binoculars 24 within the carrier 10.

The elastic strap 22 can be quickly unsnapped from the snap fastener 20 by placing a finger beneath the elastic strap 22 and pushing outwards, away from the carrier, thus pivoting the flap 23 upwards so that the binoculars can be removed from within the carrier.

What we now claim is:

1. A binocular carrier comprising an L-shaped plastic coated plate having a vertical and a horizontal leg, a leather back panel secured to the outside of the vertical leg, a flap secured at one end to the upper portion of the back panel, an elastic strap secured at the other end of the flap, said elastic strap having a fastener, a pair of shoulder straps and a waist strap secured to the vertical leg, an upwardly extending and upwardly tapered lip secured to the outer end of the horizontal leg, said lip and said horizontal leg being of lesser extent than the vertical leg in a direction along the waist strap, a snap fastener mounted within the lip having mating engagement with the fastener on the elastic strap whereby the binoculars are secured in straddling relationship on the horizontal leg and said flap covering the eye pieces of the binoculars.

2. A binocular carrier for support on a users body constructed and arranged to removably receive binoculars for nonswinging support firmly against the users body, said binocular carrier comprising: a relatively stiff plate having a central horizontal portion, first upwardly directed portion integrally extending from the rear of the central horizontal portion and adapted to be presented against the body of the user and a second upwardly directed portion integrally extending from the front of the central horizontal portion; said central horizontal portion being of substantially lesser width than said first upwardly directed portion whereby said plate is adapted to receive vertically downwardly pointed binoculars between the first and second upwardly directed portions, straddling and supported upon the central horizontal portion; flexible panel flap means secured to said plate first upwardly directed portion and constructed and arranged to extend over the received binoculars and into adjacency with said plate second upwardly directed portion; cooperative interfitting securement means formed on said flexible panel flap means and on said plate second upwardly directed portion whereby said flexible panel flap means is detachably securable to said plate second upwardly directed portion; shoulder strap means secured to said plate and constructed and arranged to pass over the shoulders of the user; means on said shoulder strap means for tensioning said shoulder strap means to pre vent looseness thereof respecting the body of the user; and waist strap means secured to said plate and constructed and arranged to pass around the user.

3 4 3. The binocular carrier of claim 2 wherein the secure- 2,676,738 4/ 1954 Herrick 224-26 ment means includes an elastic strap secured at one end 2,990,089 6/ 1961 Nystrom 2245 to said flexible panel fiap means and having a fastener thereon adjacent the opposite end thereof from said one FOREIGN PATENTS end. 5 206,747 12/1959 Austria.

References Cited by the Examiner GERALD M FORLENZA P E UNITED STATES PATENTS 2638041 5/1953 Horydczak. F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BINOCULAR CARRIER COMPRISING AN L-SHAPED PLASTIC COATED PLATE HAVING A VERTICAL AND A HORIZONTAL LEG, A LEATHER BACK PANEL SECURED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE VERTICAL LEG, A FLAP SECURED AT ONE END TO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BACK PANEL, AN ELASTIC STRAP SECURED AT THE OTHER END OF THE FLAP, SAID ELASTIC STRAP HAVING A FASTENER, A PAIR OF SHOULDER STRAPS AND A WAIST STRAP SECURED TO THE VERTICAL LEG, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING AND UPWARDLY TAPERED LIP SECURED TO THE OUTER END OF THE HORIZONTAL LEG, SAID LIP AND SAID HORIZONTAL LEG BEING OF LESSER EXTENT THAN THE VERTICAL LEG IN A DIRECTION ALONG THE WAIST STRAP, A SNAP FASTENER MOUNTED WITHIN THE LIP HAVING MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FASTENER ON THE ELASTIC STRAP WHEREBY THE BINOCULARS ARE SECURED IN STRADDLING RELATIONSHIP ON THE HORIZONTAL LEG AND SAID FLAP COVERING THE EYE PIECES OF THE BINOCULARS. 